We arrived at the Eby house in our Ford Explorer after a two hour drive from Chicago. My father had this ranch-style house built when he married my mother nearly 50 years ago.
This was the first time that my friends had the opportunity to meet my Dad, since he does not like to travel and has never been to Washington DC. My Mom has been to DC twice in the 17 years I have lived there, once in 1993 when she came on the train by herself and once in 2005 on a charter bus with her church group. In this picture, my Mom is trying to remember if she ever met Mike and my Dad is looking at Tom's hat thinking, "I have one just like that."
Marcia and Tom bought my mother a bunch of daisies in Chicago, and when they gave them to my Mom, she was honestly touched. She put them in a vase that came with some flowers I sent to her for her birthday several years ago. I am sure those flowers will be kept in some box somewhere when they die.
We all came into the living room and talked for a few minutes. If you ever come to visit my parents, this is where you will always find them. In their respective recliners facing the television, watching Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, Price is Right, and every other game show known to man. I was shocked that the television was turned off when we arrived.
I then gave everyone a tour of my house, where I found this family photograph taken in 1984 for the Wakarusa Missionary Church Member Directory. I had hair (parted in the center and feathered) and a mustache (yikes).
Every room in the Eby house has a different style, color, and design of carpet. I remember when we went to the carpet showroom when I was a child, I begged them to keep the wood floors. When my parent's insisted on installing carpet, I wanted them to choose one carpet for the entire house. I was told that I was being silly.
All of my friend's noticed that this plant in the dining room window looked like a marijuana plant. I have seen that plant several times and never noticed it until they pointed it out. I only wish it were a pot plant, it would give my parent's an edge. For a complete tour of my house,
click here.
We then walked around the two acres of land that my house sits on. The barn used to be white cinder blocks until my Dad decided to cover it with red siding a few years ago. I was only 4 when the barn was built by a group of Amish men. I scared my Mom back then by climbing up to the roof and walking the length of the barn on a 2-inch beam. She tells that story every time someone mentions the barn.
It was nice to be able to introduce a few of my friends to my parents. Traveling to Indiana was the only way to do it, since I know they will never make it to DC. After seeing this picture of my parents and me, I have to say, I think my parents are shrinking. I don't remember being that much taller than them.
We arrived at the Eby house in our Ford Explorer after a two hour drive from Chicago. My father had this ranch-style house built when he married my mother nearly 50 years ago.
This was the first time that my friends had the opportunity to meet my Dad, since he does not like to travel and has never been to Washington DC. My Mom has been to DC twice in the 17 years I have lived there, once in 1993 when she came on the train by herself and once in 2005 on a charter bus with her church group. In this picture, my Mom is trying to remember if she ever met Mike and my Dad is looking at Tom's hat thinking, "I have one just like that." 
Marcia and Tom bought my mother a bunch of daisies in Chicago, and when they gave them to my Mom, she was honestly touched. She put them in a vase that came with some flowers I sent to her for her birthday several years ago. I am sure those flowers will be kept in some box somewhere when they die. 
We all came into the living room and talked for a few minutes. If you ever come to visit my parents, this is where you will always find them. In their respective recliners facing the television, watching Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, Price is Right, and every other game show known to man. I was shocked that the television was turned off when we arrived.
I then gave everyone a tour of my house, where I found this family photograph taken in 1984 for the Wakarusa Missionary Church Member Directory. I had hair (parted in the center and feathered) and a mustache (yikes). 
Every room in the Eby house has a different style, color, and design of carpet. I remember when we went to the carpet showroom when I was a child, I begged them to keep the wood floors. When my parent's insisted on installing carpet, I wanted them to choose one carpet for the entire house. I was told that I was being silly. 
All of my friend's noticed that this plant in the dining room window looked like a marijuana plant. I have seen that plant several times and never noticed it until they pointed it out. I only wish it were a pot plant, it would give my parent's an edge. For a complete tour of my house, click here.
We then walked around the two acres of land that my house sits on. The barn used to be white cinder blocks until my Dad decided to cover it with red siding a few years ago. I was only 4 when the barn was built by a group of Amish men. I scared my Mom back then by climbing up to the roof and walking the length of the barn on a 2-inch beam. She tells that story every time someone mentions the barn.
It was nice to be able to introduce a few of my friends to my parents. Traveling to Indiana was the only way to do it, since I know they will never make it to DC. After seeing this picture of my parents and me, I have to say, I think my parents are shrinking. I don't remember being that much taller than them.
